al-Asma wa al-Sifat - al-Bayhaqi
- Author died
- 458 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-Sawādī
Kitab al-Asma wa al-Sifat (The Book of Divine Names and Attributes) is a theological and hadith work by the Shafi'i traditionist and jurist Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi (384–458 AH / 994–1066 CE), devoted to establishing and explaining the divine names and attributes through traditional textual proofs .
Purpose and Scope
In his opening framing of the work, al-Bayhaqi designates its scope as the names and attributes of God established by the Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, or the early consensus (ijma') of the Muslim community prior to the emergence of sectarian division and theological innovation . He posits that affirming divine names inherently affirms divine attributes, arguing that when God is named the Living, the Powerful, or the Knowing, this signifies distinct attributes of Life (al-hayah), Power (al-qudrah), and Knowledge (al-'ilm) rather than mere designations of essence . Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi noted that the book comprises two volumes .
Structure and Methodology
The work divides the attributes of God into two overarching categories:
- Attributes of Essence (sifat al-dhat): Those attributes that God eternally possesses without beginning or end .
- Attributes of Action (sifat al-fi'l): Those attributes pertaining to His acts without being described as beginningless in their individual instances .
Al-Bayhaqi structures the chapters around specific divine names and attributes, presenting relevant Quranic verses followed by narrated hadiths complete with their chains of transmission (isnad), as well as statements from early authorities . In handling scriptural texts, he utilizes varied approaches reflected in his chapter headings:
- For attributes of essence that he affirms directly—such as the Face (al-Wajh), the Two Hands (al-Yadayn), and the Eye (al-'Ayn)—he entitles chapters "Chapter on what has come regarding the affirmation of..." (Bab ma ja'a fi ithbat...) .
- For other attributes where he leans toward figurative interpretation (ta'wil) or non-literal meanings, he uses titles such as "Chapter on what has come regarding the mention of..." (Bab ma ja'a fi dhikr...) .
- For narrative attributes of action—such as God's ascending over the Throne (al-istiwa') and descent (al-nuzul)—he records the transmitted texts while adopting positions of consignment of the ultimate meaning to God (tafwid) or figurative interpretation (ta'wil), treating these verses as allegorical (mutashabih) .
His methodological framework reflects both traditional hadith scholarship and the Ash'ari school of speculative theology (kalam), which he studied under figures such as Ibn Furak .
Transmission and Reception
The book was transmitted by prominent students of al-Bayhaqi. It was read back to him in Nishapur in Sha'ban 449 AH by the traditionist and preacher Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn al-Fadl al-Farawi, and it was also transmitted by the author's grandson, Abu al-Hasan 'Ubayd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Bayhaqi .
Later scholars frequently cited and evaluated the work:
- Badr al-Din Ibn Jama'ah praised it as a "comprehensive and beneficial" treatise on divine attributes .
- Ibn Taymiyyah categorized al-Bayhaqi among the distinguished scholars affiliated with Ash'ari theology who inclined toward the Sunnah and relied upon the creedal formulation of Ahmad ibn Hanbal transmitted by Abu al-Fadl .
Notable Editions
Al-Asma wa al-Sifat has been published in several scholarly editions, including:
- An edition edited by Muhammad Zahid al-Kawthari, printed by Matba'at al-Sa'adah in Cairo in 1358 AH .
- A two-volume edition edited by 'Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Hashidi, published by Maktabat al-Sawadi in Jeddah in 1413 AH .
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